Legends
by Gemini14
Summary: Saiyuki RG Veda Crossover. What kind of chaos will ensue when the world of ShangriLa is faced with the two tales intermingling? Will Sanzo be able to cope with two equally cursed youths from Mt. Gogyou? Only time will tell.
1. The Meaning of Freedom

Legends

RG Veda/ Saiyuki Crossover

Chapter One: The Meaning of Freedom

It had started as another quiet day on the mountain. Two young prisoners huddled together in their stone cage, reveling in the fact that, even though one of them was mute, neither of them was alone.

"Hey, you the one who's been calling me?" a youthful, albeit rough-sounding, voice asked, breaking the silence and causing both prisoners to jump and look up.

"Huh? I haven't been calling anyone…..Who are you?" one of the prisoners asked, as he exchanged confused glances with his mute companion, then looked back at the golden-haired teen that stood just outside. The teen just gave them both an irritated look in return.

"You're lying. Now, cut the act. It's annoying." The teen muttered, then added, "After all, you're both going to be staying with me for a while." With that said, the teen reached out, expecting both of the prisoners to do the same. At first, the two children in the stone cage hesitated; would their chains prevent them from touching their first human contact in so many years? Then the one that had spoken swallowed his fear and reached for the teen's hand, his chains breaking as he did so.

"I'm…..free…..Hey, Ashura! C'mon!" the freed prisoner said, turning around and encouraging his silent companion to do the same thing. Hesitantly, the silent prisoner nodded, and slowly reached out, finding, to her obvious wonder, that her chains cracked and fell away as well.

"So, your friend's name is 'Ashura'? What name do you go by?" the teen asked, when he'd noticed that the female prisoner had not said a single word, and had correctly assumed that she was mute.

"Son Goku…..sir." the male prisoner replied. The teen nodded, thoughtfully, then started walking.

"Come on, then, Goku, Ashura. We've got some ground to cover before dark." The teen murmured, as he started leading them away from the stone cage.

"Yes sir….but….what name do you go by?" Goku asked, in turn.

"Genjyo Sanzo." The teen said, then added, "Are you going to waste time by standing there and asking me questions all day?"

"No sir!" Goku yelped, as he grabbed Ashura's hand and they both started running after him; putting as much distance between themselves and their stony prison as they could….Little did they realize that they had taken their first steps into what would be a rather confusing destiny. For them, and for their rescuer, Genjyo Sanzo.

…………………………..

"Ne, Sanzo. Are we there yet? I'm so hungry I can't walk another step!" Goku whined, as Ashura nodded fervently in agreement. Ashura then flinched when Goku got smacked on the head by their irritable 'guardian' Genjyo Sanzo.

"If you don't shut up, I'll kill you!" Sanzo growled, then added, with much chagrin, "Not that you'd stay dead, even if I did."

"Yeah, that's 'cause I'm rechargeable." Goku stated, as Ashura silently sighed and rolled her eyes. Even though she and Goku had been living with Sanzo for several years now, she had yet to break part of the ancient enchantment on her; the part that kept her from speaking.

"_If only I could talk!_" Ashura thought, smiling and laughing quietly when another argument erupted between Sanzo and Goku. For the past five days, they had been on the road from Chang-An, sent out by the Three Aspects for some kind of mission. And that mission involved their friends Gojyo and Hakkai….for some unknown reason.

"Why are we in such a hurry to meet Hakkai and Gojyo anyway?" Goku asked, voicing the question Ashura had wanted to ask, herself.

"There's something I need to make sure of…Something that has to do with someone trying to revive Gyumaoh, the Ox King, in the west. Someone is trying to revive him by using yujutsu and science…..a forbidden practice." Sanzo responded.

"Why is it 'forbidden', Sanzo?" Goku again asked, as he sat down on a boulder just beside the path and looked up at him.

"It is forbidden since no one knows what would happen if the two were mixed." Sanzo murmured, as his thoughts turned to his meeting with the Three Aspects, and his own doubts about the mission ahead. He looked down when Ashura tugged on his sleeve and smiled up at him; her silent reassurance seeming to ease some of his concerns about the impending journey. Even though he was going to be travelling with four youkai, there was a certainty that they wouldn't fall to the 'Minus Wave' that was ravaging the minds of the other youkai in the land.

"So…we just need to go there and ask them to stop the experiment, right? Piece of cake!" Goku said, as Sanzo slapped a hand to his face in exasperation, and as Ashura gave him something akin to a 'moron look' in response to his idealism.

"_He's hopeless._" Ashura inwardly sighed, listening when Goku again asked Sanzo why they needed to check in with Hakkai and Gojyo, and when Sanzo started to answer him, then stopped abruptly when he sensed something. Seconds later, they found themselves in the midst of a fight. Youkai mad from the minus wave leaped out of the trees and attacked them, leaving Goku and Ashura very little time to summon their weapons.

"_Shurato! Help me protect Sanzo-sama and fight alongside Goku!_" Ashura thought, her mental command causing her crystal sword to glow brightly. With the speed and strength of a non-human, Ashura made short work of the youkai that came her way; effortlessly cutting a swath of death through those foolish enough to get close to her and her shining blade. Yet, despite all of their efforts, Sanzo, Ashura and Goku soon found themselves surrounded.

"N-no way….Are they all…!" Goku gasped, as he stood back to back with Sanzo, and as Ashura stood close to Sanzo's left hand side.

"Youkai that crossed over to Gyumaoh……damn." Sanzo growled, cursing himself for letting his guard down.

"_T-there's too many of them! Even my Shurato can't handle all of these youkai at once!_" Ashura thought, as the empty-eyed youkai slowly closed in on them. Then, like a bolt from the blue, something flashed through the youkai nearest to them; slicing through them as neatly as a hot knife through butter……only much messier.

"So, I finally get to see it firsthand. Now I know what's happening to this world…and why we have to be the ones who have to take care of it." A familiar voice mutters, causing the trio to look up.

"_Gojyo and Hakkai! Talk about perfect timing!_" Ashura thought, about as happy to see the pair as Goku was.

"Well, if it isn't my 'favorite' hot-blooded monk, his stupid monkey sidekick, and his silent kitten." Gojyo greeted, with a smirk.

"Long time, no see." Hakkai added, with his usual pleasant smile.

"Don't call me stupid you pervy kappa!" Goku shouted, furiously.

"Then how about midget monkey? Or chibi chimp!" Gojyo retorted, giving Goku the finger while he was at it. Ashura only sighed and sweat-dropped; why did she have to be the only female in the group?

"I share your sentiments exactly, Ashura-neko-chan." Hakkai murmured, then added, "Now, now, you two. Save your energies for fighting youkai."

"How did you know where we were?" Sanzo asked, finally managing to find a moment quiet enough to speak to at least Hakkai.

"It wasn't too hard. Whatever's corrupted the youkai creates an aura that's easy for me to track. At any rate…..it seems like now the only youkai in Shangri-La who are still themselves are Gojyo, Goku, Ashura and myself." Hakkai said, grimly. Sanzo nodded in understanding; he'd thought as much.

"_We're the only sane youkai left? Scary._" Ashura mentally murmured, as a shudder traveled down her spine. All of them returned their attention to the fight when some more youkai charged at them. Sanzo watched as they all handled their opponents with seeming ease; remembering what the Three Aspects had told him before he'd departed from Chang-An.

"_Sanzo, it is time you trusted in the Eyes of your Heart. Go and join with the others and observe with those eyes. See what it is you need the most now, and what you should believe in. _" One of the Three Aspects had said, those words stirring something within him to the surface.

"Oh yeah! No contest!" Gojyo crowed, as he and Goku exchanged high fives, and as Hakkai and Ashura celebrated their victory in their own way.

"_What should I believe in?_" Sanzo wondered, as he watched them from where he'd stood since the beginning of the altercation.

"W-wait….we are siblings." One youkai muttered, after he'd grabbed Gojyo's leg to get his attention (and that of Hakkai, Ashura, and Goku, as well).

"How could you betray your own kind to fight alongside those arrogant humans?" the youkai continued, then added, "You have all chosen the wrong side. Join with your brothers and chant along with us…..LONG LIVE THE YOUKAI NATION!" The youkai's insane laughter was cut short when all four of them either stepped on his head (like Ashura and Hakkai did) or bashed him on the head with weapons (more or less what Gojyo and Goku did soon after).

"He just didn't know when to shut up." Gojyo stated, getting a nod of agreement (for once) from Ashura.

"We're on the humans' side, are we? Ha! Since the day I was born, till the day I die, the only side I'm on is my own!" Goku said, proudly.

"Damn straight." Gojyo agreed. As they prepared to leave that area, Sanzo's thoughts again returned to what the Three Aspects had told him.

"_Trust in the eyes of my heart, huh? That, in and of itself, is going to be a challenge._" Sanzo mused, then called out to each member of the group.

"Goku, Ashura, Gojyo, Hakkai….Let's go." Sanzo murmured.

"All right. Where to?" Hakkai responded.

"To the west." Sanzo said, as he pointed out the direction they were to go in.

"_The west_….._where that 'Gyumaoh' demon is_…._and where the people who want to resurrect him are, as well._" Ashura thought, as feelings of trepidation and anticipation moved quickly through her as the next thought entered her mind; would they all make it through the coming battles alive?

Author's Note!

I know this is kind of an odd crossover, but it is just something that has been circling almost endlessly in my mind since I started reading both Saiyuki and RG Veda. Hope this was all right!

Gemini14


	2. The Legend Begins

Chapter Two: The Legend Begins

Ashura yawned as she roused up from a nap. Beneath her, she could feel the rhythmic bumping of Jeep's tires on the road; the very thing that had put her to sleep in the first place.

"I find it amazing that you could possibly sleep through this racket, Ashura." Sanzo muttered, startling Ashura slightly when she realized that she was now sitting on his lap with her head just beneath his chin.

"Well, Ashura-chan is our resident kitten, after all." Hakkai teased, getting a mock glare from the female youkai as a response. Then she sighed silently and smiled; she could never truly be angry with Hakkai (or any of her rather odd friends, for that matter). Beside and before her, she could hear yet another argument unfolding.

"Ne, Gojyo! You can't get shotgun! Your stupid smoke keeps blowin' in my face!" Goku shouted, angrily.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I completely forgot we had a kid in the back." Gojyo retorted, sarcastically.

"What did you call me?.!.?" Goku asked, furiously.

"You heard me!" Gojyo replied.

"Then what does that make Ashura?.!" Goku asked, as he pointed out the only female in their group.

"The next lucky customer." Gojyo sneered, playing up his lecherous tendencies before his friends. Ashura was quick to wake the rest of the way up and punch Gojyo right in the back of the head.

"Ow! Dammit! That hurt Ashura!" Gojyo shouted angrily, as he turned and gave her the finger (and Ashura was quick to respond in kind).

"Hit 'im harder next time, Ashura! That'll make 'im stop smoking for a while!" Goku encouraged.

"Damn it! Would you three give it a rest? Or do I need to make you get out and run to India?" Sanzo growled, irritably; much to Hakkai's amusement.

"Now, now. I'm sure we'll reach a town soon." Hakkai reassured, then added, "It will be nice to sleep under a real roof again."

"_You can say that again!_" Ashura silently agreed, as she gave Gojyo her version of a 'Bite me' look when he glanced back at her to make sure she wasn't going to hit him again.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

They reached a town late in the afternoon (much to the group's relief). Ashura sighed as she watched the townsfolk mill past Jeep; not even giving the living vehicle a second glance as they did so. She flinched when Goku and Gojyo found some more trouble by stepping in and rescuing a young woman from being beaten up by bullies.

"Goku! Gojyo! I thought I told you to keep a low profile!" Sanzo shouted, irritably, as he stood up in the vehicle and glared at the pair.

"We stand out fairly well ourselves, Sanzo, so we have no room to talk." Hakkai stated, with a laugh.

"_And I __really__ stand out in a crowd!_" Ashura silently added, as she ran the fingertips of her left hand along the edge of one ear. Even though she also wore power limiters like Hakkai and Goku, she still looked like a youkai...And no one seemed to know why.

"_Guess it has something to do with my lost past._" Ashura mused, listening as Goku asked the woman about food and an inn.

"'Scuse me, but could you help us out? We've been on the road for ages, and could really use an inn and some good food." Goku said, as he helped the woman pick up her groceries (she had been in the middle of returning from grocery shopping when the local hoodlums had started causing problems).

"And a parking lot, if possible." Hakkai added. Completely taken aback by all that was going on, the woman nodded and hesitantly answered them.

"I...uh...Sure. My family runs an inn. I'll show you the way, if you need directions." the woman said, getting another smile from Hakkai in response.

"Much obliged." Hakkai said, amiably, as he revved Jeep's engine a little bit (a signal for Goku and Gojyo to get back in) and offered a hand to the woman so she could safely step up and into the vehicle.

"_Count on Hakkai-san to be a gentleman!_" Ashura thought, as she smiled slightly about that.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"Chew with your mouth closed, you disgusting little monkey! This ain't no zoo!" Gojyo shouted, at dinner that evening. Ashura sighed and put a hand to her face in exasperation. Almost every meal started and ended now with an argument; and it was enough to even give her a headache!

"Look who's talking, you 'C-Class Perverted Kappa'!" Goku retorted, furiously, getting the finger from Gojyo for that comment.

"Maybe baby monkey will understand the ladies better when he reaches puberty!" Gojyo snapped, before something hard hit both him and Goku.

"Dammit, Sanzo! Did you borrow the damn broom to hit us this time?.!" Gojyo snarled, as he turned his blazing eyes onto the priest.

"It wasn't me this time, idiot." Sanzo growled, as he pointed out the scowling Ashura to them.

"Shit. I knew the kitten's been hanging around you too long! She's picked up your rotten personality!" Gojyo mumbled, getting smacked on the head again for his troubles.

"I think Ashura-neko-chan just wants to have a quite meal for a change. Isn't that right, Ashura-chan?" Hakkai asked, as he smiled calmly at her. Ashura just nodded.

"Wonder what she would have said if she could talk?" Goku mused, as things started to calm down around the table.

"Who knows?" Sanzo muttered, as he sipped his tea and sat back; but not before patting Ashura's shoulder to silently commend her for trying to silence the constantly arguing pair.

"_She's been mute since before I found her. I wonder why that part of the seal hasn't been broken yet?_" Sanzo silently questioned; looking up when the owner of the inn entered the room.

"Honored guests! As my thanks for saving my daughter Houmei, please, eat all you like." the man said, warmly.

"We appreciate this, sir." Hakkai said, gratefully.

"Oh, it's nothing. You are travelers from the East, are you not?" the man asked, curiously.

"Yeah, that's right." Sanzo replied, quietly.

"Really? That's most unusual." Houmei said, then added (when Ashura gave her a curious look), "The Eastern Desert is quite dangerous. Not many humans cross it...It's a wonder you made it here in one piece. All of you must be very strong...Especially since, recently, there's a band of bloodthirsty youkai on the loose. They say five monsters leave mountains of youkai corpses in their wake. It's like there's a war going on, youkai against youkai." Houmei said, grimly, as she remembered what she'd heard.

"That's weird! Hey, guys, you don't suppose they're talking about...!" Goku said, before getting interrupted by Gojyo (he bashed Goku's head onto the table to keep him from revealing anything about them).

"Sorry. Fly on your head. Think I got 'im." Gojyo said, with a tense grin that Ashura knew was related to the subject that had narrowly been avoided.

"Oh darn, it got away." Sanzo muttered, smirking slightly when he heard grumbled cursing from Goku.

"Please, don't pay them any mind. They're harmless." Hakkai said, with an embarrassed smile, as Ashura held up a sign that said 'Who says?' in response to that.

"As long as we're on the topic...Have you noticed any unusual behavior among the youkai in this area?" Sanzo asked getting right back to the business at hand.

"'Unusual'? That's one way of putting it. Until just a little while ago, they lived peacefully alongside humans as part of the community. Then, one day, they all disappeared without warning...leaving only the remains of the humans they had eaten! We still have no idea what caused them to go berserk, or where they went afterwards." Houmei's father murmured, as Sanzo nodded thoughtfully. Ashura could tell that he was thinking of what the Three Aspects had told him about the Minus Wave, and what it was doing to the youkai of Shangri-La.

"_After all of our journeying is over, will humans be able to live alongside youkai? Or has too much damage already been done?_" Ashura wondered, startled when Houmei rejoined the conversation.

"I hate youkai!" Houmei shouted, angrily.

"Houmei, please. Not in front of guests." Houmei's father said, trying to placate his daughter. He went unheeded.

"They eat humans! They're nothing but monsters! It's impossible for humans and youkai to live together! Everyone in town says so!" Houmei continued, painfully, before finally quieting down again.

"I'm sorry, all of you. This wound is close to her. One of her friends was a victim of the youkai attacks." Houmei's father said, in apology.

"It's understandable, sir." Hakkai murmured, then added, "Well, now, that meal was delicious. Did you make all of this, Houmei-san?"

"Uh...hai." Houmei replied, a little taken off guard by the sudden change of subject.

"No way! Really? You're amazing! I haven't eaten food this good in ages! Arigato!" Goku said, enthusiastically, as Ashura held up a sign that agreed with him.

'You're awesome!' the sign read, as the smiling Ashura held it aloft.

"A-arigato..." Houmei stammered, obviously not used to getting so much praise about her cooking.

"You're very welcome." Hakkai responded, giving her a calm smile, as he and his companions started to leave the table and head upstairs to their rooms.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"_A great disaster is eroding this world. The reason for the sudden frenzy in the youkai is because someone is trying to revive Gyumaoh. Your mission is to find out who is performing the yujutsu experimentation and why_..._and you have to stop them. All the answers lie in India! Go to the West, Genjyo Sanzo!_"

"As you command."

Sanzo jumped slightly when a hand touched his arm. He'd been so deep in thought, that even the sounds of Goku and Gojyo arguing in the background had been drowned out. Upon looking to his left, he saw the concerned expression on Ashura's face, and heard when Hakkai asked him a question.

"Are you all right, Sanzo?" Hakkai asked, as he handed him a steaming mug of coffee.

"Yeah." Sanzo murmured, allowing a slight smirk to appear on his usually dour features, and ruffling Ashura's silky black hair in an effort to assure her that he was all right.

"You know, our chat with the innkeeper and his daughter made me realize something; humans really distrust youkai right now, don't they?" Hakkai questioned, getting a nod from the priest in response.

"It seems that way. The average person doesn't know why this happened, and they can only assume the worst; that the youkai are only showing their true natures." Sanzo stated, snickering when Ashura held up a sign that said 'Guess telling them to get a clue won't work, huh?'.

"No, Ashura-chan, I don't think it will." Hakkai said, thoughtfully; laughing softly at the mute youkai's input, and giving her a warm smile while doing so.

"Never mind Gojyo's half-blood...If Goku and I didn't wear these limiters, we wouldn't even be able to walk down the street." Hakkai added.

"Yet it still doesn't answer why Ashura's appearance hasn't sparked off any fireworks yet. She's wearin' limiters, but she still looks like a youkai." Gojyo pointed out; giving voice to the doubts Ashura had been having about herself earlier that day.

"It could be that her limiters give everyone else the illusion that she is human, but, to us, she appears unaltered by them." Hakkai suggested. Sanzo could only shrug half-heartedly, and ruffle Ashura's hair again to reassure her.

"It's as good a suggestion as any." Sanzo muttered, his thoughts again turning to the mission at hand; going to the West and stopping the resurrection of Gyumaoh.

"_Can we really do this?_" Sanzo wondered, his expression deadpanning when Gojyo and Goku again started arguing, and noticing when he saw some movement outside the window.

"_Gypsies?_" Ashura silently asked, as she went to the window, and looked out.

"Oh, yeah. They'd said that there was a big group staying here tonight. A group of gypsies or somethin'. Look at 'em." Goku said, his and Ashura's expressions deadpanning when Gojyo started drooling over the dancing girls that were just now walking past.

"Believe me, I'm looking! They are hot! Wonder if I can get 'em to dance on my bed?" Gojyo leered, ignoring Ashura when her face turned a pale green, and she held up a sign that said 'WAY too much info!' over her head. Sanzo only snickered at this, then returned his attention to their current problem. Since the caravan had reserved all of the larger rooms, they were left with only the singles...a disaster waiting to happen if ever there was one.

"You never know when we might get attacked by youkai. It's a good idea to stay as close together as possible...at least, that's what I should say. But, on the other hand...I'm sick of looking at your sorry faces, so screw it! Dismissed!" Sanzo muttered, ducking when Ashura threw her last sign at him; narrowly having it miss his head.

"I think Ashura-chan took offense at your last remark, Sanzo." Hakkai said, with a laugh.

"Feh." Sanzo retorted, smirking slightly when Ashura blew a flying raspberry at him for an added measure.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"_Ashura_..._" a voice called; echoing slightly within the darkness._

"_Who are you?" Ashura asked, stopping short when she realized that she had just spoken._

"_You and your friends are in danger, Ashura. You must hurry." the voice replied, urgently; ignoring her question completely._

"_Danger? Are Sanzo-san and the others being attacked?" Ashura questioned._

"_Yes." the voice responded, as alarm raced through the young youkai at this._

"_Then I've gotta wake up! Thanks for warning me!" Ashura shouted, getting a chuckle from the voice._

"_Don't mention it." the voice replied, as the dream started to fade, and as consciousness returned to the slumbering youkai._

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Ashura bolted upright just as a sword buried itself in her pillow. With a silent scream, she leaped from her bed, trying to make for the door. She only got about halfway before her attacker caught her and pinned her to the floor.

"Such a pretty little thing, aren't ya? Too bad I can't take my time having some fun with ya before I do ya in." the intruder purred, as he ran a hand through Ashura's silky black hair; his eyes shining with lust.

"_Help me! Someone, anyone! Please HELP!!!_" Ashura's mind screamed, as helpless tears leaked from her eyes. Her arms were pinned to the floor, so she couldn't summon Shurato, and the intruder was an adult youkai, making him physically stronger than her.

"That is quite enough." a male voice growled, before something whirled in and killed the youkai that had been about to do the unspeakable to Ashura. Finding herself free from the now-dead youkai's grasp, Ashura backpedaled away from the gruesome scene, and right into her rescuer's arms.

"Are you all right, little one?" he asked, when Ashura had looked up at him with frightened, tear-filled eyes. She nodded slightly, then shakily stood back and allowed him to stand again.

"It's a good thing I came by when I did...Though it was very careless of Sanzo to leave you alone like that, youkai or otherwise." the man stated, seeming more than just a little irritated by the priest's irresponsible decision to place Ashura in a room by herself.

'Who are you?' Ashura asked, (via a sign, once again). The man smiled slightly, and leaned in towards her.

"My name is Kujaku." the man replied, warmly.

'I'm called Ashura! Pleased to meet you, Kujaku-san!' Ashura silently greeted, getting a soft laugh from Kujaku for that.

"And it's good to meet you, as well, Ashura-chan. Now, let's see if we can be of any assistance to your friends, okay?" Kujaku asked, getting a nod from Ashura before they both ran from the room and in the direction of Gojyo, Hakkai, Goku, and Sanzo's rooms.

"_I hope we're not too late to help!_" Ashura thought, summoning Shurato and taking up the lead in the mad dash.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Sanzo could only glare up at his captors as they tried to beat him into submission. Across the room, the innkeeper's daughter, Houmei, lay unconscious; having been captured by the youkai not too long before.

"That's enough." the she-demon leader of the spider demon tribe ordered, making her underling (the one that had initially attacked Sanzo) stop beating the priest, and let him drop to the floor.

"You have good eyes, priest...Too good for a human." the female youkai snickered, when Sanzo had directed his hate-filled glare at her, instead.

"You know...they say that eating the flesh of a virtuous priest can lengthen one's life. It's just a legend among youkai...maybe nothing more. But I do wonder...Would devouring the highest of priests, the one they call 'Sanzo' make me immortal?" the youkai crooned, then added, as she held Sanzo's chin in her hand, "Still, I think you might prove delicious, boy, either way. Up close, your face is quite pretty."

"And, up close, you look like a shriveled old hag." Sanzo growled, not even having time to brace himself when she slammed his head into the floor in response to that remark.

"I'm going to mince you! I'll slice you into pieces so small that no one will know just what you were!" the youkai yowled, furiously; baring her claws as she said that. But, before she could put into action what she wanted to do, something came flying through the air at her, forcing her to step back away from Sanzo in surprise.

"Trust me, lady, you really don't want to eat him. He's too tough to chew!" Gojyo sneered, as he retracted his weapon, and stood ready for a fight. Beside him, stood Goku, Hakkai, Ashura, and a man Sanzo did not recognize.

"No matter how you cook him, there's no helping it." Hakkai said, with his usual smile (even though it was so late at night).

"I don't need your help." Sanzo grumbled, as he slowly got to his feet; wobbling a little and almost falling down again before Ashura rushed in and caught him, "And don't expect any thanks from me."

"Wouldn't want 'em, anyway." Gojyo muttered, giving the woozy priest a skeptical look in answer to his comments, and as he continued to lean on Ashura for support until he got his equilibrium back.

"But you do repay your debts, right?" the stranger asked, smirking very slightly when Sanzo gave him a 'Don't start with me' look, and then nodded.

"Of course." Sanzo grumbled, as he shook off the dizziness, and stood on his own; begrudgingly giving the female youkai a nod of thanks as he did so. Ashura smiled, then returned to her usual position in the group (that being on Hakkai's right hand side). The newcomer took up a position between Gojyo and Hakkai; his own golden eyes focused on the spider youkai tribe's leader; trying to find any weaknesses.

"Quit the tough guy act! As long as we have this hostage, you can't touch us!" another youkai nervously said, as she picked up the unconscious girl, and unsheathed her claws.

"Then I suppose I should remedy that" Hakkai said, suddenly appearing behind the youkai, and, in a move just as quick, rescuing Houmei in one felled swoop.

"Hostage safely recovered!" Hakkai stated, his smile not faltering in the slightest.

"Well done! I couldn't have done any better!" the newcomer commented, with an equally easygoing grin.

"You're too kind, Kujaku-kun. Now..." Hakkai said, his green gaze gaining just a hint of anger as he returned his full attention to their enemies, "A game's no fun if the board isn't even." With a snarled curse, the youkai leader called more of her tribemates to her, then ordered them forward.

"Kill them! I want them all dead!" the she-demon screeched, her rage at being called an old hag by Sanzo having not abated in the slightest.

"Hey! Endangering an innocent person is bad enough, but taking our cook hostage...!" Goku shouted, angrily, not even noticing when Sanzo and Gojyo muttered comments behind his back. Ashura only sighed and shook her head, while Kujaku laughed it off; all of them watching when Goku leaped into action.

"Looks like fun. Mind if I 'cut' in?" Gojyo asked, as he whipped the chain sickle part of his staff effortlessly around him; cutting through the mass easily.

"Heads up." Kujaku growled, as he wove in and out through different opponents, his katana flashing as he fought. Right beside him, Ashura also cut a swath of death; her bright amber eyes almost glowing with rage as she paid her enemies back for the fear their comrade had instilled in her only a few moments before. And yet, they kept coming.

"Persistent buggers, aren't they?" Hakkai muttered, ending up, for the briefest of moments, back to back with Kujaku.

"You know it." Kujaku agreed, then added, "And yet, this is the first good work-out I've had in a long time! I couldn't very well pass it up!"

"Keep traveling with us, my friend, and you will get all the 'exercise' you could ever want, and more." Hakkai stated, smiling when the other actually grinned eagerly at the prospect.

"I will definitely consider it!" Kujaku said, panting slightly as he drove another youkai back; preventing an attack to Hakkai's blind spot.

"Now, to try and finish what I've started...Death Blow! Gaichuu Kujyo!" Hakkai shouted, as he sent a powerful ki blast hurtling at the youkai that stood in front of him. They didn't stand a chance in hell.

"Useless fools! Can't you do anything right?.!" the she-demon screamed, angrily, before a fist impacted with her face, and sent her sprawling.

"Payback from earlier. Interest's a bitch." Sanzo growled, still managing to look intimidating, despite the cuts and bruises to his face. The female youkai only sneered.

"Don't underestimate me, baggy-eyed priest." the youkai warned, before the unexpected began to happen; she began to change form!

"Impossible! A metamorphosis!" Hakkai muttered, as they all watched the youkai changed into a gigantic spider.

'EWWWW!!!!' Ashura's sign read, as her face paled, and she almost dropped her sword.

"I quite agree, Ashura-chan." Kujaku mumbled, also managing to look disgusted at the sight.

"I bet that thing tastes gross!" Goku added, as Gojyo gave him a bizarre look for that comment.

"Must be nice thinking the way you do, monkey!" Gojyo said, before the spider spat webbing all over them, entrapping them before they could even react.

"Hey! I can't cut the web this time!" Goku yelped, as he struggled vainly to get free.

"_I can't either! Even my Shurato is too dull!_" Ashura thought; fighting to keep herself from panicking.

"The transformation's made her much stronger." Sanzo stated, as they all stared at what could be their last opponent.

"_If that's the case, then how're we gonna get out of this mess?_" Ashura wondered, as he trapped hands gripped Shurato tightly; determined to not go down quietly.

_**Author's Note!**_

_**Hmm...Not exactly happy with the way this chapter came out. I can only hope the next one will be better. **_

_**Gemini14**_


	3. And Another joins the Fight

Chapter Three: And Another joins the Fight

Houmei groaned as she returned to consciousness; startled when she found herself in a man's arms, and when she saw that it was Hakkai that was holding her.

"_W-what the_..." Houmei's mind yelped, voicing her surprise at this development.

"Oh, did we wake you? I apologize for getting you involved in this." Hakkai said, then added, "Things are a bit sticky right now, but if you'll hang tight..." It was then that Houmei could see what kind of situation they were now in, and screamed.

"_What is that?.! What's going on? Why is this man holding me, and what are they fighting against?_" Houmei wondered, as she watched them all struggle vainly to get free of the webbing that was wrapped around them.

"_Wait! Someone came into the kitchen earlier. He hit Daddy_..._and then me_..._I remember now_..._He was_..._a youkai!_" Houmei remembered, as the giant spider uttered an ear-piercing screech, and started to pull them all closer to it. As it did that, it spat even more webbing onto the six fighters; some of it even ending up around Hakkai's neck.

"Oh no! Hakkai-san!" Houmei yelped, as the man released his hold on her, to try and loosen the stranglehold the webbing had on his throat.

"_Hakkai-san!_" Ashura silently echoed, when she saw blood begin to drip from the corner's of his mouth.

"_Hang on, Hakkai-san! Just hang on!_" Ashura thought, as she fought valiantly against the sticky binding; ignoring the pain when some of them cut into her skin and opened shallow wounds in their wake. All movement ceased when a gunshot rang out, and the bullet struck the spider youkai right in one of its' eyes; causing the webbing to break and releasing the six from it.

"_Hakkai-san!_" Ashura mentally yelped, as the man fell to his knees, coughing and gasping for air, since the webbing that had been choking him had fallen away as well.

"I...I'm a-all right, Ashura-chan. No need to worry." Hakkai reassured, as the female youkai gently wiped the blood off of his face with her shirt sleeve, her concern and worry for him showing itself clearly in her amber eyes. He smiled to ease her worry, somewhat, then gazed at her injuries.

"I'll tend to your cuts after we defeat this youkai, okay?" Hakkai asked, getting a nod and a wince for that. Then they all turned their attention to the one who had shot the youkai's eye.

"Daddy?.!" Houmei shouted, in disbelief, as the inn's owner stumbled into the room, with Sanzo's gun in hand.

"Wasn't that your gun, Sanzo?" Gojyo asked, a bit confusedly. Sanzo sighed and nodded.

"I guess he gets a cut too." Sanzo muttered, motioning to Kujaku as well, since he'd helped to kill a good number of the youkai that had attacked them.

"**_How dare you! Acting like _****_humans_**" the spider youkai snarled, as she glared at the group before her, then noticed some movement beside one of her legs. One of her clansmen had survived the 'massacre' and was staring up at her in awe and some horror. She grabbed him before he could react; before he could even scream. Sanzo knew what was about to happen, and tried to block Houmei's view.

"Don't look, Houmei!" Sanzo shouted; too late to prevent the girl from seeing the worst of it.

"_Oh_..._gross_..." Ashura thought, gagging as she turned her eyes away from the sight.

"She...ate her own guy?.!" Goku yelped, his own face turning green at the sight, even though he had the strongest stomach in the group.

"She used his youkai energy to heal her wounds." Hakkai murmured, tiredly; really not looking forward to the battle to come.

"A man-eater, huh? She's a black widow in every way." Gojyo muttered.

"I'm in agreement with you there, my friend." Kujaku grumbled, jumping slightly when Houmei started screaming.

"No! I hate them! I hate them!.! The youkai are evil! I wish they'd all just die!.!" Houmei cried; her words causing Goku to lose his concentration, and get knocked across the room by one of the spider's legs. He landed with a crash on the other side of the room.

"Goku!" Hakkai shouted, as Ashura rushed to his side.

"Shit!" Gojyo growled, when he'd noticed one of the legs heading straight for Houmei and her father.

"_Can't get there fast enough!_" Kujaku's mind yelped, as he made the effort to detach himself from the fight, and protect the humans. To their relief, the leg was stopped by not only Ashura, but Goku as well.

"Goku-san! Ashura-chan!" Houmei cried, relieved that the former was all right, and that the latter was helping him.

"Cut it out, spider lady! These people have nothing to do with our fight!" Goku shouted, angrily, as he steadied himself on Ashura's shoulder, and then glared at the monstrosity before them.

"**_Why do you care? Why do you risk your life to protect those filthy humans?.! After all, you and your companions are no different from _****_us_** **_You are youkai!_**" the spider youkai growled, sending Houmei's mind into confusion.

"_What? I must not have heard her right. Goku-san and his friends_..._are youkai? No! It can't be true!_" Houmei thought, her eyes wide with horror at the idea. She flinched when Ashura touched her left arm, and smiled up at her; her eyes, as always, friendly and trusting.

"_How could it be possible?_" Houmei wondered, snapping back into reality when Goku spoke again.

"Get off it, lady. Human or youkai, it makes no difference. We live by our own rules, not by what others of our race say we should do. I like this girl's food. That's reason enough!" Goku said, boldly. Ashura could almost feel a sweatdrop forming on her head, and sighed in exasperation.

"_Always thinking with his stomach_..." Ashura silently muttered, as Kujaku chuckled and shook his head in amusement.

"And so it once more comes to eating in the end." Hakkai said, his usual smile returning with every word.

"Animal instincts. They're all he's got." Sanzo grumbled, irritably.

"**_You disgusting traitors! I'll devour you all!_**" the spider youkai roared, as she prepared to attack them again.

"Hakkai, take care of Houmei and her father. Goku, Gojyo, Ashura, and...whoever you are, buy me some time. I'm going to seal this bitch's movement." Sanzo growled, as he removed the sutra from his shoulders, getting nods from all of those involved.

"Will do!" Kujaku replied, with a slight salute, before rushing into the fray.

"All right!" Goku shouted, eagerly.

"Yo, spider lady! Over here!" Gojyo taunted, while Ashura made obscene gestures to get the youkai's attention.

"What do they say? 'Have women but never let them have you'?" Kujaku asked, conversationally, as he and Gojyo leaped out of the way of the spider's mandibles; skidding to a halt about ten feet away.

"Feh, it could be about sake, for all we know." Gojyo replied, with a grin. He could sense the other man's devil-may-care attitude, and could tell that felt the same way he did about their cursed blood.

"Who on earth are you people?" Houmei's father asked, stunned by the amount of power and strength the group had, and their prowess when handling youkai.

"It's a long story, sir. Just know that there's a reason why the youkai are on the rampage." Hakkai murmured, before turning his gaze from the fight to Houmei, "Please don't forget. Human or youkai, inside we are no different. You should never blame the race."

"_What kind_..._yet sad, eyes_..." Houmei mused, before another shout and the rustling of paper got their attention, and they looked back at the battle.

"Makai Tenjyo!" Sanzo cried, sending the sutra flying at the youkai.

"Think you and Ashura can finish the job, Goku?" Gojyo asked, as he watched the sutra do its' work, and freeze the youkai in place.

"Can we? C'mon, Ashura!" Goku shouted, getting an eager nod from Ashura before they both leaped in to deliver the final blows. With a last dying scream, the youkai vanished from existence; allowing the illusion it had cast on the room to crumble, and freeing those within it.

"_Whew. Finally._" Ashura thought, as she and Goku landed, and she reached out to steady her friend again, since his head injury still needing tending to.

"So, who are you, anyway?" Sanzo asked, finally presented with the opportunity to question the newcomer to their group. Kujaku smiled.

"Kujaku is the name I go by, around here." Kujaku replied, amiably.

"Where are you intending to go, Kujaku-kun?" Hakkai asked, curiously.

"To the West, mainly. Need to find out why my tribe went nuts, and see if I can't put a stop to it while I'm at it." Kujaku replied, thoughtfully.

"So, you're a full-blooded youkai as well. The fact that you are wearing limiters spared you the fate of your tribe." Sanzo muttered, as the innkeeper returned his gun to him. Kujaku nodded.

"Indeed. Anyway, I'd heard from somewhere that you all are going West yourselves. Hope you don't mind if I join you." Kujaku said, inwardly smirking when an unreadable look crossed the priest's features, and when he grumbled something about 'another freeloader' under his breath before turning his back on the group and heading back to bed.

"Well, before he changes his mind about this, welcome to the group, Kujaku-kun." Hakkai said, as the carefree look returned to Kujaku's face, and as Ashura added her own silent input by hugging the impetuous warrior and smiling at him.

"_And thus, my own journey begins._" Kujaku mused, as he grinned back at the younger youkai, and then made his way back out of the room; heading to his own room so he could get a few extra hours' sleep before he left with Sanzo's group the coming daybreak.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"You're leaving already?" the innkeeper asked, later that same morning, when Hakkai, Sanzo, Gojyo, Goku, and Ashura got back into the Jeep; prepared to continue on their way.

"I'm afraid so. We're on a rather tight schedule." Hakkai apologized, as he listened to Kujaku rev the engine of his motorcycle slightly so he could warm the engine.

"Sorry for the trouble, old man." Gojyo added.

"It's all right. I can rebuild. What's important is that we're unharmed." the innkeeper replied, calmly.

"Mind if I ask you something, sir?" Kujaku asked, politely.

"Go ahead." the innkeeper urged.

"You didn't seem too surprised or upset when you learned that we're youkai. Did you know all along?" Kujaku questioned, curiously. The innkeeper nodded.

"I suppose so. Your ki gave you away...An old friend of mine is a youkai. Well...he was an old friend." the innkeeper stated, a little sadly, then added, "If anyone can fix what is wrong with this world, it's you six. That is what my heart tells me, at any rate. Am I wrong?"

"Don't worry. I believe in repaying my debts." Sanzo assured him, in his usual gravelly tone; looking up when Houmei shyly approached them with two lunchboxes in her arms.

"I made these for you...It's only lunch, but please take it. It's all for you." Houmei whispered, not expecting the brilliant smiles she got from Goku and Ashura in response to that.

"Thanks kid, it's appreciated." Kujaku murmured, as he graciously took the other lunchbox from her, and secured it into one of the storage containers on his bike.

"Arigato Houmei! You're the best!" Goku added, and as Ashura held up a sign that read 'What he said!' as well. This got a shaky smile in response from Houmei for their efforts.

"We must be off." Hakkai quietly said, hinting that it was time to go, "Take it easy, okay?" Houmei could only nod as Hakkai started Jeep's engine, and sped away; with Kujaku following closely. As they disappeared from sight down the road, Houmei allowed her tears of regret to flow.

"I...I should've apologized to them. I can't believe I'd said all those hateful things!" Houmei sobbed, as her father held her close in a consoling hug, and spoke gently to her.

"You wanted to say 'Thank you' and 'I'm sorry', right? You put your feelings into your cooking. Don't worry. I'm sure they got the message." the innkeeper murmured, as he gazed down the road that led west, and wished the group a safe journey.

"_If you wish it, at the end of their journey, there will be light._" the innkeeper mused, as he and Houmei returned indoors; after all, they had the now six companions to thank for their continued existence...and they were both grateful for that.

_**Author's Note!**_

_**I hope this chapter was all right, and it wasn't too confusing or boring! More action (and humor) to come in the next chapter, I promise!**_

_**Gemini14**_


	4. Prelude to Even More Trouble

Chapter Four: Prelude to Even More Trouble

"Hey! How far are we walkin', anyway?!" Goku's annoyed voice growled, as they climbed the rather steep incline of a mountain; dragging a heavy backpack behind him as he did so.

"Our Jeep and Kujaku-kun's motorcycle can't pass through this rocky terrain, I'm afraid." Hakkai replied, releasing a sigh of exasperation when Goku started shouting at the furiously chirping Hakuryu about not being able to transform into something other than a four-wheeled vehicle.

"Sensei…..the Animal's abusing the animal." Gojyo grumbled; watching as Kujaku quietly carried a slumbering Ashura on his back.

"Feh. At this rate, the sun will set before we can make it through the mountains." Sanzo muttered, equally as tired as his companions, yet hiding that fact very well behind a mask of annoyance. Then he turned his attention to Kujaku.

"At least you're not complaining about this situation." Sanzo murmured. He got a bit of a world-weary smile from the purple-haired youkai, and then a slight look of sadness.

"My imoto-chan was a lot like Ashura-chan, before the Minus Wave swept through Shangri-La…..But she's even quieter. Is it true that she's still under some sort of curse?" Kujaku questioned; getting a slight sigh from the priest as a response.

"Yes. And she'll remain mute till it breaks….if it ever breaks, that is." Sanzo muttered, with a hint of sympathy for the female youkai in his voice, as he spoke.

"_I see_….._Poor kid._" Kujaku mused, sympathetically, as he gently reached back and ruffled the sleeping youkai's hair. Her response to that was to sigh contentedly and bury her face even more into the back of his neck; not in the least bit disturbed by her fate, nor Goku's shouting.

"She's certainly taken to you, though. The kitten actually seems happier, as weird as that is." Gojyo said, in a bemused tone, and got an almost mischievous smile from the purple-haired youkai, before he responded to that.

"She knows she's in good hands. That's why she can sleep so soundly." Kujaku replied; laughing when Gojyo glared at him and growled 'What'd you mean by that?' in reaction to that jab.

"He has you pegged, Gojyo." Hakkai chuckled, and as even Sanzo snickered at Gojyo's expense.

"Got that right." Sanzo grumbled, as he watched the four trudge along on the path beside him. He knew they were getting tired, and was inwardly even a little bit concerned about the possibility of youkai attacks during the night.

"Perhaps we can stay here for tonight." Hakkai suggested, as he pointed out what appeared to be a rather large manmade structure. And they could see what seemed to be a huge gate that had been built into the cliffside, just in front of them.

"Looks like some kind of shrine." Gojyo muttered; not looking forward to this, in the least.

"It does indeed….." Kujaku agreed, as Ashura slowly roused up, and looked blearily up at the shrine gate before them.

"Whoa….!" Goku mumbled, not really believing what he was seeing.

"Excuse me!" Hakkai called; his voice getting the attention of those inside.

"What do you want?" One priest asked when he had come to see who now stood outside.

"We are travelers, seeking shelter for the night." Hakkai explained. This earned them a pretentious snort, and a cursory glance from the priest above them.

"These are sacred grounds. People of unknown lineage are not welcome in these halls." The priest stated, haughtily.

"Pretentious asshole…..I friggin' hate priests!" Gojyo snarled, irritably, as he gave the priest above him the finger (completely ignoring Sanzo when he muttered 'You don't say' under his breath, and when he gave Gojyo an unreadable look, as well).

"This is a problem." Hakkai murmured, concernedly.

"The next town is too far away to reach before the daylight is completely gone." Kujaku said, as he carefully set Ashura back onto her feet, and then stretched to ease the tension in his back.

"And I'm starving! Talk to 'em, Sanzo!" Goku shouted, not realizing that, for once, his announcing Sanzo's name would come in handy.

"D-did you say 'Sanzo'?!" the priest yelped, his exclamation getting the attention of a few of the other priests inside.

"It can't be…..Priest Genjyo Sanzo?!" another priest added, as they all stared in shock at what they had missed before.

"P-please forgive our impertinence! You may enter immediately!" the priests both stammered, as they abruptly opened the gate, and let the six travelers in. Still not completely awake yet, Ashura self-consciously took a firm hold of Kujaku's hand as they walked inside; rubbing her eyes with her free hand as she did so.

"Still a bit sleepy, ne, Ashura-chan?" Kujaku whispered, and getting a drowsy nod from her for an answer.

"This place is huge." Hakkai murmured, and then added, "Makes me glad Ashura-chan had decided to stick so close to you, Kujaku-kun."

"Same here." Kujaku agreed, wholeheartedly.

"_This place reeks of incense._" Ashura silently said, as her mind slowly became more awake, and as uneasiness started to take hold.

"This way, please." One priest murmured, as he led them into a huge antechamber. There, amidst the large group of priests, sat the elder of the temple, and his two servants.

"Ah, exalted Priest Sanzo. We are honored to welcome you to our temple." The old man said, with a calm smile.

"It is we who are honored." Sanzo replied, quietly, and with a slight bow.

"_Bullshit._" Ashura thought, as a deadpan expression crossed her petite features.

"For once, I think our sentiments are on the same line of thought, Ashura." Gojyo muttered; making sure to keep his voice low enough so neither Sanzo nor the priests around them could hear him, then asking, "Why's pretty-boy so important, all of a sudden?"

"I think it's the power of his 'Sanzo' title. Supposedly, there are five sacred scriptures in this world called the 'Tenchi Kaigen'." Hakkai said, as he watched their 'leader' speak with the head priest of the temple.

"I've heard basically the same thing. The priests chosen to protect those scriptures are given the name 'Sanzo', and are revered as the highest priests in all of Buddhism." Kujaku added, as a thoughtful look appeared in his golden eyes.

"So, how did our smoking, drinking, killing buddy here get to be a Sanzo?" Gojyo asked, dryly; not quiet believing what he had just heard.

"I don't quite understand that, either." Hakkai said, with an abashed smile; allowing a soft chuckle to escape when Ashura held up a sign that said 'And WE sure as hell don't understand it!'.

"Actually, Priest Koumyou Sanzo graced us with his presence ten years ago. Even now, the noble, solemn figure of Priest Koumyou Sanzo is burned into my eyes. You truly resemble him, Priest Genjyo." The old priest said, not noticing when a slight, pained look came and went within Sanzo's eyes.

"I heard that, after Priest Koumyou Sanzo passed away, he chose you to succeed him. It is said that you were his favorite pupil." The old priest continued. Even from where he stood, Kujaku could tell that hearing this sort of talk was the last thing Sanzo really wanted to hear.

"_Especially since our mission hits so close to home_….._retrieving one of Koumyou Sanzo's stolen Tenchi Kaigen scriptures._" Kujaku mused, and listened when Sanzo finally spoke up.

"I did not come here to discuss those matters. My companions and I have had a long and difficult journey. We request a night's reprieve." Sanzo stated, firmly; hiding whatever grief he may have been feeling behind his usual cool veneer.

"Yes! Of course! We'd be honored! Except….." one priest said, then trailed off as he glanced at the group behind Sanzo.

"Yes?" Hakkai asked, even though he could almost see where this was going.

"This is a holy temple. We don't usually admit outsiders…..Especially those who aren't followers of Buddha. And those five….." another priest added; flinching when Gojyo started shouting at them.

"So priests can stay, but not normal people? What is this?! A freakin' country club?! Gimme a break!" Gojyo snarled, angrily, even as Hakkai tried to placate him.

"I don't care." Sanzo muttered; ducking when Ashura threw another sign at him, and ignoring the subsequent whine from Goku afterwards.

"That's what I'd thought he'd say!" Goku moaned, despairingly.

"Don't take it personally minna. These are very religious people." Hakkai whispered, in a vain effort to try and calm the waters within the group.

"I take no offense, since I've had to travel through hostile territory at night, for quite some time now." Kujaku replied, not in the least bit insulted by this turn of events.

"Feh. Well, they can bow down and kiss my ass." Gojyo growled; giving the priests and Sanzo the evil eye while he was at it.

"Or are these your disciples, Priest Genjyo?" the elder asked, curiously; gracefully allowing Gojyo's comment to pass.

"Them? No." Sanzo replied, then added, "They're my slaves." And yet, Sanzo just barely had enough time to dodge, when Ashura threw not only the cardboard she used for making her signs at him, but also her box of pens and brushes as well, before storming off.

"Ashura!" Hakkai shouted, as the female youkai disappeared around a corner.

"Oh dear……That didn't go over very well, with her." Kujaku murmured, concernedly.

"That's stating the obvious." Gojyo mumbled, as Hakkai held both him and Goku back from killing the golden-haired priest. But what Kujaku did, moments later, startled all of those before him; he approached Sanzo, fell flat on his face, and began kissing the priest's feet.

"Oh yes, Sanzo-sama! Command me! Please! Command me!" Kujaku mock-moaned; smirking when he heard the barely-contained laughter from Gojyo, Goku, and even Hakkai for that.

"You bastard…..quit fucking around!" Sanzo growled, embarrassed by the purple-haired youkai's antics, to say the least. At this, he got only a mischievous grin from Kujaku, as he looked up at him from his prone position on the floor.

"Interesting choice of words…..Sanzo-sama." Kujaku murmured, with a wink, before he got up and sauntered back over to the trio behind him.

"He isn't gonna let you live because of this." Gojyo managed, from between laughs; getting a good-natured shrug from Kujaku for that.

"Ah, well. At least I had some fun before the end." Kujaku stated, blithely, as they were led even further into the temple; ignoring it when Sanzo directed his own evil eye at him for that stunt. Yet, he couldn't help but worry about Ashura, all the same.

"_But I can only wonder where Ashura-chan has gotten to?_"

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

"_THAT JERK!!_" Ashura silently raged, as she stomped through the halls of the shrine by herself. She only stopped when her vision became too blurry to see anymore; angrily swiping at her eyes to rid them of the tears that had gathered there. Even though a small part of her mind knew that what Sanzo had said was only to cover the fact that he was traveling with youkai, being called a slave by him galled her.

"Hey, now, what's this? Why're you crying?" a voice asked, from one of the rooms nearby. Startled, Ashura turned to look, and felt some surprise when she saw that a teenager who appeared to be about the same age as Goku and her was lying in one of the nearby rooms. With some hesitation, she approached him; taking in his rather haggard appearance as she did so. There were bandages wrapped securely around his chest and abdomen, as well as on his brow. Even so, his eyes were clear, despite the intense pain.

"_I wonder what had happened to him?_" Ashura thought, as she sat down beside him and sighed.

"You look a little down. Did somebody say or do something to hurt your feelings?" the teen asked, concernedly. Ashura nodded.

'Someone I know called me a slave.' Ashura replied, via a notebook that someone had left on the table beside the teen's bed.

"That's pretty cold." The teen said, getting a nod of agreement from Ashura as a response.

'Tell me about it.' Ashura wrote, angrily.

"By the way, I'm Ryuu. What do you call yourself?" the teen asked, curiously.

'My name's Ashura.' Ashura answered.

"'Ashura', huh? So, what're you doin' here?" Ryuu questioned; his green eyes shining as he spoke.

'My friends and I are heading west to find out what's making the youkai go crazy.' Ashura wrote, not mentioning the fact that they were also searching for the missing scripture, as well.

"Why west?" Ryuu asked, curiously.

'That's where the Minus Wave is comin' from, I guess.' Ashura replied, and then continued, 'Sanzo-sama, Hakkai-san, Gojyo-san, Goku-kun, Kujaku-san and I have been traveling through the mountains since early this morning. We can't go any further because it's gettin' dark.'

"I see. Good decision on your part, since almost every youkai in the area has gone nuts. Until recently, I've been wandering around, putting the poor buggers outta their misery. But then….." Ryuu sighed, and then motioned to himself and the bandages wrapped around his torso.

'They got the drop on you, huh?' Ashura 'said', finishing the other teen's thought, and getting a wince from him in answer to that.

"Yeah. I was lucky enough to be found by one of the novices in this temple before I could bleed to death." Ryuu admitted; noticing when Ashura's eyes lit up, signaling that something had just occurred to her.

'Hakkai-san might be able to help heal you! He's able to heal by using his chi, so maybe he can help close your wounds!' Ashura wrote, excitedly.

"I dunno…….Would he be willing to help a total stranger?" Ryuu asked, uncertainly, and got a grin and fervent nod from Ashura for an answer.

'I'll go and see if I can find him!' Ashura replied, before she stood up and raced off; forgetting in her haste just how big the temple was.

"Hope she doesn't end up getting lost in this place…..Though it might be a forlorn hope if ever there was one!" Ryuu muttered, yet smirked to himself and shrugged as he lay back down. This was the best chance he'd had of getting out of the temple even sooner, so he wasn't about to begin complaining now!

"_A youkai promising help to a Youkai Hunter_……_Well, weirder things have happened!_" Ryuu mused, as he settled in for the wait, and allowed slumber to take over; allowing it to bring the dreams of better times, as well as the hope he still had that eventually he would be able to stop hunting his former neighbors and friends.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Goku uttered a satisfied sigh, as he sat down on one of the beds in the room he and the rest of the group had been led to; grinning when he saw the food that had just been laid out for them on the table nearby.

"Now that's what I'm talkin' about!" Goku said, happily, as he eyed the food hungrily.

"I agree. The room is very impressive." Kujaku murmured, even though he was still secretly concerned about Ashura's whereabouts.

"I guess…..All thanks to the mighty Lord Prissy-Boy here." Gojyo added, and got a dirty look from Sanzo for his efforts.

"I'm going to kill you." Sanzo growled, irritably. Yet they all noticed when Kujaku didn't add anything to Gojyo's remark.

"Worried about Ashura-chan again, Kujaku-kun?" Hakkai asked, having seen that the purple-haired youkai had quieted down a little bit since they had entered the room.

"You could say that. This place is pretty big, so she might end up getting lost….I just hope none of the priests here are able to see past the illusion her limiters place on her appearance." Kujaku said, concernedly, as he sat down at the table and helped himself to the food there.

"Well, since none of 'em are crying 'youkai' yet, I guess she's still safe. Just gotta wait and see what happens when she does turn up again." Gojyo muttered; looking aside when one of the young novices entered the room with a tray of hot tea in hand. He smiled eagerly when he saw Sanzo, and began to introduce himself.

"Please, make yourselves at home. My name is Yo, and I have the honor of serving you all this evening. It's good to meet you!" the young priest said, with a grin.

"Damn good-for-nothing priests……I asked for a chick and all they send is this prick! What a let down!" Gojyo grumbled, in disappointment; getting an aghast reaction from the novice for a response.

"How vile! Women are forbidden from even entering this temple!" Yo retorted, then turned to Sanzo, "Isn't that right, Sanzo-sama?" Sanzo's expression, much to the rest of the group's amusement, deadpanned even further.

"Why're you asking me?" Sanzo asked, dryly.

"I've always dreamed of meeting a Sanzo, but I've never actually thought I'd ever get the chance to serve one! You're an inspiration to me!" Yo gushed, happily, "Being a Sanzo means you've been selected by Buddha himself, so your existence is the highest in all of Buddhism!"

"Oh really?" Sanzo mumbled; ignoring Goku and Gojyo when they snickered behind his back and asked one another 'Him? Sacred?' and then shook their heads.

"So please relax, all of you! Don't hesitate to call, if you need anything!" Yo said, before he left the room again.

"I'd love to see that kid's face if he knew Sanzo was packin' a gun." Gojyo muttered.

"Or if he knew that Ashura's actually a girl, since girls are s'posedly forbidden here." Goku agreed, wholeheartedly.

"It's a prime example of the old adage, 'Ignorance is Bliss.'" Hakkai stated, blithely; jumping slightly when the door flew open again, yet quickly calming down when he saw that it was Ashura that had just flown in.

"Well, well! Look what the cat dragged in! Perfect timing, Ashura-chan!" Gojyo growled, as he pulled the female youkai into a headlock and tousled her silky black hair in retaliation for worrying them like that.

"_LET GO OF ME, YOU PERVY KAPPA!!_" Ashura silently yowled, wishing with all her heart that she was able to speak, and give Gojyo the chewing out he deserved.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Gojyo, to provoke Ashura like that….." Hakkai murmured, when he'd seen how angry the female youkai was becoming, and trying to curtail any problems before they could become larger. His point was proven, just moments later, when Gojyo uttered a pain snarl under his breath, then doubled over and crumpled to the floor.

"You little…..! That hurt, bitch!" Gojyo wheezed, from between gritted teeth.

"I tried to warn you…." Hakkai said, with an uneasy smile, as his friend continued to lie there glaring at Ashura and cursing profusely at her for added measure. Ashura looked up, when she felt Sanzo's hand on her head, and smirked slightly when she saw the brief glint of approval in his eyes for what she had just done.

"That'll shut the pervert up for a while!" Goku laughed, then added, "Nice move, Ashura!"

'Nuthin' to it!' Ashura said (via a sign, once again).

"Damn monkey…..don't encourage her! And you, Sanzo…..stay outta this!" Gojyo growled, from between pained gasps.

"No." Sanzo retorted, as he picked up the newspaper, sat down, and put on his glasses; telling the rest of the group that he was going to be ignoring them from that point on.

"Bastard….." Gojyo again wheezed, as he slowly started to uncurl from his prone position on the floor.

"_And things can only go downhill from here_….._Better try to change the subject_….." Hakkai thought, with a slight smile, then gave Ashura a questioning look, "By the way, Ashura-chan, why did you rush in here like that? Was there a reason?" It took just a moment for the female youkai to remember just what she had intended to tell them before Gojyo's interruption, and she scribbled down her message on another piece of cardboard and handed it to Hakkai.

'There's a hurt warrior here too! His name's Ryuu and he's been here for several days! He'd been attacked by youkai!' Ashura's message said, and her expression after Hakkai had looked away from it confirmed it.

"So you want me to see if I can heal him? Is that it?" Hakkai again asked. Ashura nodded vigorously in response.

"Better go ahead and get it over with, then. Having to deal with a whiny monkey is one thing…..but having a pissed-off cat is another." Sanzo muttered.

"Right….." Hakkai agreed, glad that Goku was too busy chowing down on the food to even notice Sanzo's comment. This earned Sanzo a sigh and rolling of the eyes from Ashura, yet she let it go at that.

"Let's go then, Ashura-neko-chan." Hakkai said, as she nodded again and took him by the hand; leading him back the way she had come.

"Well, till they return, how about a game of mahjong?" Kujaku suggested, trying his best to mediate the situation in Hakkai's absence.

"Feh, suit yourself." Sanzo grumbled, even though Kujaku could tell he was looking for a distraction from the tension of a few moments before.

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)

Ryuu roused up, when he sensed a familiar presence approach, and allowed himself to feel some surprise when he saw that Ashura had returned.

"So, you kept your promise." Ryuu muttered, and got a smile from the female youkai for his comment.

"Ashura-chan isn't the type to lie, Ryuu-kun." Hakkai murmured, calmly, and then asked, "Do I have you permission to take a good look at your wounds?"

"Knock yourself out." Ryuu replied, giving the monocle-wearing youkai the go-ahead. With no further words, Hakkai carefully undid the bandages; flinching despite himself when he saw the gashes on Ryuu's abdomen.

"Quite the papercuts, ne?" Ryuu asked, rhetorically, the pain in his voice very evident to both Ashura and Hakkai.

"Indeed…..All kidding aside, however, you were very lucky to have survived that attack. A lesser man would have died from the blood loss and shock, by now." Hakkai said, with some admiration for the younger man's stubborn will to survive, despite the awful wounds.

"That's what the priests here had said almost a week ago…..But what can I say? I'm a pretty stubborn bastard, when I wanna be." Ryuu said, with a pained smirk, as Hakkai got started in the healing.

"I know someone who says the same thing of himself, on occasion." Hakkai commented, as he channeled more of his chi into Ryuu's wounds; concentrating on closing the edges of the gashes until there was no more fear of them reopening again.

"I'd like to meet 'im, sometime." Ryuu growled from between gritted teeth, steeling himself from the pain, yet still managing a chuckle when he saw Ashura's expression deadpan, and her next written comment.

'No, you wouldn't. TRUST me.' Ashura's sign read, getting soft laughs from both Hakkai and Ryuu for that.

_**Author's Note!**_

_**Sorry for the un-exciting chapter, minna, but I'm trying to get back into the feel of writing in this story again! More action is just around the bend, though! So sit tight!**_

_**Gemini14**_


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